Ngwaaang?? Who Are You?? African Indigenous Primordial Spirituality Manifestations

By Mosiuoa Ngaka

"In essence, all the elements of cosmology are interrelated, and there is a view that all religions are the same, have a common origin, and this dates back to ancient esoteric traditions. It is for this reason that other formations are of the opinion that the view that primordial religions historically gave rise to the existence of all other religions should be resuscitated." - (Ugeux, 2007:31)

This book serves as a wakeup call that primoridal spirituality practices are invaluable. Reading it will thus enhance a better understanding of the origins of the Indigenous People and their position and role in the Golbal VIllage. The stories impress on the fact that African indigenous spirituality practices are integral to the broader institution of indigenous knowlegde systems. Therefore, by no means shall this institution be subordinate or inferior to its counterparts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mosiuoa Ngaka
• Release date: Jun 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9780620979108

Mosiuoa Ngaka

Dr Mosiuoa N. Ngaka was born at tiny Free State town Morojaneng, Dewetsdorp 64 years ago, where he completed part of of his primary school. Thereafter he proceeded to Sengangata, Bloemfontein, where he completed High School education. In terms of his career, he worked as a principal in Free State, and as a Director for the Public Sector. Academically, he is holding Primary Teachers Certificate and his highest qualification is PhD in Management Science, specialising in Public Administration.

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NGWAAANG?? WHO ARE YOU?

AFRICAN INDIGENOUS PRIMORDIAL SPIRITUALITY MANIFESTATIONS

DR MOSIUOA N. NGAKA

DEDICATIONS

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This work is dedicated with greatest affection and gratitude to Almighty God, Badimo ba (ancestors of) Bakoena le Bataung; my late father, Ralethola Michael Ngaka and especially my late mother, Matefo Emily Maieane-Ngaka, whose inborn spiritual talents and gifts encouraged me to write this book with courage; and to my sister, Mantoa Lydia Ngaka for her untiring support during the turbulent times I went through. The book is further dedicated to Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Spiritual Practices.

The Late Prophetess and Spiritual Healer: Mme Matefo Emily Maieane-Ngaka

Source: Family Photo Collection

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book is a culmination of the unwavering support I received from a few individuals who were part of my life in one way or the other. Special words of gratitude go to my late father, Ralethola Michael Ngaka and especially my late mother, Matefo Emily Maieane-Ngaka whose distinct spiritual gifts served as an impetus for writing this book. My late mother deserves a special mention because she was a Sangoma and a Spiritual healer by birth. About ninety-five percent of the stories are a manifestation of her spiritual activities.

Mantoa Lydia Ngaka, my sister, thank you for being with me through thick and thin. Thank you for supporting me emotionally and financially at the time my world was falling apart, and thank you for realigning my mind back to the completion of this book. Another person who deserves special thanks is my colleague, Ms Sharon Davids who unreservedly supported me when I was just about to surrender. She had been there from the start, encouraging me to focus and finish the book.

Mrs Moche, her son, Ramoroagae and his sister Matefo, all from Diphate-Ha-Di-Alolwe (Dewetsdorp, Morojaneng), tsa teng di alolwa ke mokoko; my cousin, Ausi Nelly Mahae and her daughter, Mamoya Elizabeth Mahae-Erasmus, both hailing from Qibing (Wepener). Thank you very much to you all for your courage to support this endeavour through your testimonies. Your willingness and support made the writing of this book a very pleasant experience.

A special word of thanks goes to the Almighty God. Badimo ba Bataung le Bakoena, you are unforgettable, thank you very much for sparing my life to the completion and publication of this book. The book is in honour of my mother and the African Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Spiritual Practices.

Last but not least, Lesedi House Inc. for this opportunity; and their editor, Sipho Kekezwa, for his assistance in the development of this book. 

PREFACE

It took me five years meditating about how to pen down this book. It is a culmination of several factors, varying from my upbringing which cast a lot of uncertainties pertaining to my identity. That extended to the rejection of one’s roots in terms of culture, negating some of the tenets crucial for the socialization of an African Indigenous person, instead, identifying with alien cultures because of indoctrination and a destructive enculturation. With time, I began to critically interrogate a number of practices and I began to comprehend the significance of primordial practices to indigenous people.

African primordial spirituality is deeper than it is thought to be. By its nature, it calls for unity and mutual respect for all, animate and inanimate alike. On the other hand, the birth of cosmology coincides with the period during which man encountered the forest, sea as well as the stars (Tucker, 2007). Misrepresentation of these Native spirituality practices led to the cultural dismemberment of African indigenous people (Mwiti, 2014:171).

The stories might sound mythical but they are a true manifestation of events that occurred. The names used are fictitious, and although the people who gave their various testimonies gave consent for the use of their names, for ethical reasons, I felt obliged to protect their identities, except for the main character around whom about ninety-five percent of stories are revolving, namely; the late Matefo or Makgubedu Maieane-Ngaka.

In terms of the milieu, the stories deliberately unfold from distinct settings. Others are real, and some, for ethical imperatives are fictitious. As cited earlier, the events in the various stories are genuine. Some took place in Thabana-Morena-Ha-Bofihla, in Lesotho, Sengangata, Ntswanatsatsi, and Thabong.  However, their starting point is Boesmanskop, and at Thabana-Morena-Ha-Bofihla and they reach their climax at Diphate-Ha-Di-Alolwe, tsa teng di alolwa ke mokoko. This is where Matefo started realising her spiritual potential.

Thematically speaking, this collection addresses the anomalies and the uncertainties underlying the primordial spirituality practices. It sheds light specifically on the spiritual practices of the African Indigenous people, thus emphasising the rationale why these practices should be revered. Furthermore, it places emphasis on the opinion that the spiritual gifts among the African Indigenous peoples are bestowed on a chosen few. These gifts do not accommodate volunteers as they are most likely to distort the true connotation of this institution.

CONTENTS

Dedications         

Acknowledgements         

Preface          

How Spiritual Duty Often Calls      

Ngwaaang?? Who are you?     

I am Going to Durban, When I Come Back     

Dreams... the Ancestral Divulgence and Commands     

Conversation with the Living and the Departed Ancestors    

The Sacred Rockery     

The Might of Grave No. LQ 74    

Stop that Plough!!!     

Matswedintsweke, the Symbol of Hope     

Witchdoctors     

The Demise of a Sanctimonious Priest     

Glossary     

References     

How Spiritual Duty Often Calls

The primordial spirituality practices of indigenous people have a long history. The advent thereof dates back to the ancient times of human kind. This kind of spirituality constitutes a well-established institution and, even today, its existence is still apparent as it transited from generation to generation. It carries on fighting for its religious position as it continues to occupy a centre stage in the real-life situation of those who subscribe to it. The indigenous knowledge holders and proponents of this less considered institution persisted to keep its lights burning by toiling around in the twilight of their spiritual trials and tribulation. These were subtly and frequently instigated by those forces that negated the legitimate existence of this idiosyncratic spirituality institute.

The enactment of this unique spiritual practice manifested in the 20th century in a very small village farm of Boesmanskop in the then Orange Free State, currently known as the Free State Province. To be precise, the incidents unfolded around the 1930s at Boesmanskop. The village in question is situated along the borderline of Orange Free State and Lesotho. It is between Qibing and Matlakeng and it was the home to a variety of clans who were all employed by the farm owner in that area. As a result, life here was purely subsistent and communal in nature. 

Boesmanskop is the birthplace of woman known as Matefo Maieane. Born from the Maieane clan in 1923, this woman was bestowed with distinct spiritual gifts, and was thus able to perform spiritual miracles. Her spiritual gifts originated from this tiny place and her history pertaining to spiritual activities dates back to the 1930s as cited earlier, way back before I was born.

Through the discharge of her spiritual obligations, one would say Matefo epitomised the ancient Prophets and Prophetess whose wells originated from the primordial spiritual realms.  It therefore stands to reason that, her undocumented spiritual history alone, serves as a confirmation that primordial spirituality practices by indigenous people had always been there. It had been an independent spiritual domain with its own practitioners who graduated from the indigenous spiritual institutions informed by nature and cosmology.

Based on the premise that the primitive of primordial spirituality subscribes to nature, it is the belief of most African communities that the environment signifies the abode of spirits, the living dead and ancestors. Over and above all, indigenous people collaboratively live from nature. That is why they have such reverence for it. In her lifetime, Matefo venerated her spiritual practices fully. Consequently, she dedicated her entire life to her spiritual calling for which she was always prepared to die.

As stated earlier, Matefo was raised among a tightly interwoven, collaborative community. Because of the nature of the village life being communal and subsistent, one would not draw a clear distinction in terms of which child belonged to which clan. This was so because the different clans inhabiting that village farm were closely knitted and intertwined. They were so  

closely related that you would not harm an individual in the presence of another. The harmonious relationship that existed, and still is, led to intermarriages, and this continued into the next generations. Afterwards, these clans became what we call in western language, extended families.

It is in this milieu and setting where Matefo was born and raised. She was the firstborn of Mr

Plaki Maieane and Mrs Masekhetshe Maieane’s four children. Her other siblings were Tefo,

her twin brother, Matlakala, and Dipuo.

As mentioned earlier, the whole village was supportive of one another in all aspect.

For example, they fraternized in all matters of common cultural and spiritual interest.

These, inter alia; comprised all rites of passage such as communal ceremonies. The latter varied from rituals performed when a child was born, lobola negotiations, the standard way of conducting funerals and the support given to a bereaved family, and many others. Notwithstanding the origins of the clan from which the member of the village hailed, all cultural rites of passage in that village were conducted indiscriminately and fairly across the board.

Against the backdrop of the foregoing explanation, it stood to reason that all cultural and spiritual related issues, as well as all the rites of passage, were very crucial to those clans. The special mode in which they conducted funerals was exclusively intended to mark the final respect to the deceased but also to signify the last developmental stage of the departed member, thus preserving the cultural and spiritual imperatives for posterity through the execution of the set rituals.

Especially with funeral rites of passage, the intention was to ascertain the villagers of a deserved and respectful cultural and spiritual send off for any of the members of the village who is recalled to the highest ancestral office. Thus, ensuring an untainted preservation of the cultural heritage of all the clans that were represented in that village. Matefo upheld these values, ensuring that they would be seamlessly transmitted to the next generation using her spiritual gifts as a vehicle. She became an ambassador in her small way, using her special spiritual gift as a gateway to the attainment of the desired goals. 

Nonetheless, the upbringing of Matefo was a very prickly one throughout her life until her death. Her father who was a migrant worker separated with her mother, and after that, her mother died miraculously. It was alleged that she either fell or was rather thrown deliberately into the river. The sad thing was that her body was never recovered, and such that her grave was never found up to now. This was the worst setback for Matefo. She never stopped lamenting about it until she passed away. In the same breath, it never crossed her father’s mind that this horrible thing could have happened to his beloved wife, even though they were separated.

We must recall that in terms of the Basotho culture, despite their separation, Matefo’s mother was still regarded as a daughter-in-law of the Maieane clan, and thus a legitimate wife of her father. Therefore, in the village, prior to her untimely death, she was still accorded the respect she deserved as the daughter-in-law of theMaieane clan. Out of the four children of Plaki and Masekhetse Maieane, the twins, Matefo and Tefo, remained the strongest. Nonetheless, all of them enjoyed the care, affection and support of the extended family in village.

Matefo and her twin were popular in the village because they were humble, hardworking and diligent. However, Tefo was slightly cheeky. Dipuo, the lastborn, was obedient and docile. Matlakala was the most unpopular because of her cantankerous behaviour. Consequently, Matefo could be trusted with important tasks more than Matlakala could be, because of the latter’s behaviour. My mother was thus extremely energetic and hardworking. For example, she could sew clothes, work in the fields to cultivate crops and assist with harvesting, as well as milking the cows and looking after the cattle.

Amid the developments surrounding their parents, her siblings started to vanish one by one.

The first one to disappear was Tefo who was later traced back at the mines in Thabong. Dipuo also vanished, and was later located at Diphate-Ha-Di Alolwe where she joined her father. Matlakala left for Qibing and got married to another family. She later settled with her family at one of the farms in the outskirts of Qibing called Ha Radikatse, a Sesotho name given to the farmer by the farmworkers. In those days, it was a norm for farmworkers to give their master a nickname deriving from his dominant character traits, or in this case, the idea of domesticating many cats.

Ironically, there were no numerous cats in that farm for us to conclude that the name derived from the fact that the farmer